Working in cosmetics before 18?

[OfficerJenny]

Hey everyone

I'm sixteen and a half and looking for a job! Problem is I am extremely picky and would greatly prefer somewhere in cosmetics. I know most counters like MAC you have to be 18, but I heard Benefit hires at 17, and Origins hires at 16. I was wondering if any of you guys know of any other cosmetics stores that would hire someone aged 16 or 17.

I live in California in the US if that helpss

thanks in advance :3

 

[darkwater_soul]

Are you sure about Origins? I'm an assistant manager for them, and we can't hire anyone under 18, except at holiday time, and only as parttime on the weekends and such. Most cosmetic companies won't hire much younger than 18, because of dept. store standards and such.

 

[OfficerJenny]

I heard from a friend who works there that they used to hire people who were 16 so Iono :c maybe it was just for Holidays.

 

[darkwater_soul]

Might have been, but I see you live in Cali, so labor laws might be different... I just know that we have started looking for holiday help here, and I know who I can and can't hire, lol. I've been in cosmetics since the day I turned 18, and I know quite a few companies that can't ( and some that won't) but I know that some drugstores will hire people for thier cosmetic sections? It won't be the same, but it may be a logical start?

 

[OfficerJenny]

I was hoping it wouldnt come to that

But I guess that is better then anything, plus it would get me retail experience I need for when I wanna work at a counter when I'm 18 :c

 

[brittanymorgan]

sorry to break it to you but you can't be picky at 16 about a job.. especially if one doesn't have job experience.

 

[OfficerJenny]

oh trust me I will continue to be picky XD

I won't work exclusively for cosmetics, cause I doubt i'm even able to, but that is my top choice

 

[liv]

Nothing against you personally, but I cannot see a department store cosmetic brand wanting to hire a 16 year old. Even if you are knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, etc etc, I think a fair number of customers would not be keen on buying expensive makeup/skincare whatever from a teenager.

That said, I agree with the above poster. Sixteen is not the age to be picky about a job, having a bigger goal in mind is great, but expecting it to be your first "real" job is really not pragmatic.

 

[OfficerJenny]

I know what you mean and I totally agree, but being hopeful isn't a bad thing.

I guess I wasn't clear in my first post. I meant more along the lines of a store that sells cosmetics or fragrances, similar to bath and body works or The body shop. Not so much an actual cosmetics counter.

 

[liv]

I could definitely see B&BW being a type of store that would hire a sixteen year old, seeing as how many of their product lines are aimed to younger clients like the American Girl and Temptations stuff. I'm not sure about the Body Shop since I've never shopped there.

 

[CaliCosmetics]

Hi all. Well I think it's actually wonderful that you have goals in mind and want to start getting some job experience, since i know some people who are turning 18, want to jump into being MAC MAs and have no job experience at all. Since I know you don't have to work and are only seeking to gain personal experience, I would seek out jobs that are easy to gain experience at a younger age and will work you up the ladder. There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing what interests you and gaining experience in that.

I would see if you can hook up with a freelancer. If they do big jobs you could almost in essence be their assistant, help to mix foundation concealer colors, make sure their tools are all set up, even help with applications the more experience you get in return for a small amount of prints for yourself and portfolio for future experience or if you work out with them or a small wage. Anything helps.

Also, I work at Origins here in CA for about two years now and they actually hired me before I was 18 not during the holidays. While we do have a policy that you must be 18, usually we just say "Are you 18 or older?" Even if they say no, we still hand them a resume and I was hired there when I was seventeen, so maybe our laws are different.
In that case, if there is an Origins around you definitely try to apply, you never know and even holiday help can turn into something more permanent. A smaller cosmetic/skin care line is a great way to get started and start your experience and knowledge.

Also try companies like Lush or smaller less well-known companies. This might be more lax on their standards or need help in other ways. Good luck!! I think it is great you know what you want and are seeking advice to get it! That speaks so very highly of you.

 

[fondasaurusrex]

You can try ULTA .. I think i remember reading about it in 17 magazine ..

 

[chocolategoddes]

I'm in the exact same situation as you. Same age, same interest, heck, we both live in the San Jose area (as it says in your location thingy)
I'm a bit picky when it comes to where I want to work and it seems like no boutique or counter will hire anyone under the age of 18. I think a big part of it is liability (not sure if that's the right word...?) since we technically aren't adults yet so we can't have the same responsibilities.

I've also heard of places like Lush or Ulta hiring teens but I'm not exactly sure. I'm in the process of working with my mom's friend who is a makeup artist at a beauty salon. You could consider something like that.

 

[starrynights]

I know a girl who started working at the body shop when she was 15 and the minimum age is 14 to work there. But that said, you probably need at the absolute least, 3months of customer service experience (even if its just a cashier at a fast food place or something)

 

[lyttleravyn]

Oh wow, I think everyone I knew (guys and girls) got their first jobs at the grocery store in town haha. That was 14-15, then all the girls moved up to be summer camp counselors from 15-16. At 16-17 thats when we all started working at the mall. In retail (cosmetics or otherwise) most places want you to have experience. Even if you don't have retail experience, they at least prefer that you had some position in customer service.

I agree with some posters that while its great to have goals for yourself, a first job at a CVS or somewhere like that isn't as bad as it seems. They're usually pretty lenient about hiring someone with little to no job experience, it will give you a nice base in customer service/retail experience, and it will give you an idea if retail is for you (you may like makeup, but find that you'd rather find a job that isn't retail...its not all fun and games haha).